The Little House of Christmas
by heartlandiansoisle
Summary: Characters: Luke, Katie, Ty, Amy, Georgie, Jack, Lisa, Lou, Peter, Lyndy. Synopsis: Luke comes to visit Heartland for Christmas, but it seems the Christmas spirit is missing.
1. Chapter 1

This particular December day was gloomy in every possible way. The skies looked grey and the province had barely seen any sun this past week. The only thing that had really helped people to remember Christmas was just a day away was the snow, that had covered the lands and mountains, and the little seasonal lights and decorations everyone had put inside their houses and out on their yards and lawns.

Heartland was no exception.

When Andrea Kashani drove through the gates of the ranch that day, she was having mixed feelings. She was happy to be back out in the real world, living on her own and doing a job - a crappy job, but job nonetheless - but that also posed the problem. She had responsibilities that needed to be taken care of and that also provided her a chance to prove herself. After what had happened with Luke around the same time past year, Andrea had crashed mentally and it had been a long climb back up to what she considered "her normal".

Even though Andrea had felt so much humiliation this past year, she still felt her pride was very much intact. And she realized it was sometimes a bad thing, but it was also what had gotten her through.

That and her love for her son, Luke.

She glanced at the boy sitting at the back seat, wondering if he would actually be happier here in Hudson than he was in their little apartment in Calgary.

Despite becoming more accepting of the fact that her feelings were not the only truth, Andrea still had occasionally hard time admitting to herself she was no longer Luke's only family. For years, it had just been two of them and that was how she still mostly pictured their family, but ever since coming home from a hospital at the end of the summer this year, Andrea had had to admit Luke no longer viewed them the same way and because of that, Andrea had had to open her mind to that view as well.

The Fleming-Bordens were now Luke's family too.

Earlier this year, when Andrea had wanted to celebrate the fact that she was back home to her son, Luke had gone on and on about the trips he and Ty had taken that summer, how Amy had helped her learn so much about horses and how much he missed his foster sister, Lyndy.

Andrea's first response had been jealousy, even a little bit of possessiveness as well, but she had been able to bite her tongue and just listen to what Luke had to say. She could recall a psychologist telling her all these feelings were natural for someone going through what she was experiencing and she shouldn't deny having them, but it would be important to have her allow Luke to have his feelings as well as he had been through a big change too. The fact that the psychologist had wanted Andrea to take away from their sessions was that she had to remember that she wanted to keep her emotions separate from Luke's responsibilities, since Luke was just a kid, after all, and he deserved to have a childhood without having to worry about his mother's well-being.

And that had helped her a lot, even though it was still difficult not to compare oneself to the picture perfect family that waited pass these gates. They had it all figured out and didn't have to work on their parenting.

"Oh, look at the horses!" Andrea commented when the horses in the field near the road started galloping along the car, almost as if welcoming them to the ranch. She glanced at Luke through the rearview mirror and the boy's eyes went from his phone to outside. "Is one of those horses the one that you've been riding?" she tried to make an effort even though it made her feel so poor to think that she had to work a night shift so she would afford to pay next month's rent while these people just happened to have money laying around so that they could buy Luke a horse of his own just because he had formed a bond with one.

"No, I don't see Boots", Luke said. "He must be on the other field. He prefers to be there."

"Well, you'll see him soon", Andrea said.

Even though she had this internal struggle she would have to deal with by bringing Luke here, it also made Andrea feel a bit better to know that at least he wouldn't be alone tonight and he wouldn't be bored because he would have so much to do that he would probably not even be ready to go tomorrow when she would come and pick him up.

When they arrived to the yard, Andrea could see Amy and Ty playing outside with Lyndy as they were building a snowman together. The family immediately noticed them and hurtled up to welcome them to their home.

To Andrea, the ranch looked like something out of a Christmas card and it didn't take much to imagine it could be basically be compared to Disneyland for kids who loved farms. The only thing that seemed out of place was a tacky looking snowman - that had black tape on its side - standing tall next to the entrance to the ranch house. Andrea found it strange, but it also made her feel a little bit better as it proved there was some level of "representation" she found here at Heartland since it seemed like not everything seemed to be cookie cutter perfect after all.

When Andrea had parked her car, Luke jumped out almost right away so he could go hug his other family. Andrea unbuckled herself and stepped out, watching as Ty, Amy and Lyndy had their little reunion.

"Hi…" she said to Amy who glanced at her way and smiled.

"Hey. Nice to see you again", the blonde woman said back.

"Thanks for doing this. I know it's kind of last minute, but… I'd really like to keep my job and I can't have Luke alone for the night. The babysitter bailing on me last minute is just my luck… Luke shouldn't be alone. Not when everyone around him is celebrating Christmas", Andrea explained as she went to the back of the car to pick up Luke's things.

"Of course, we're happy to help. Anytime", Ty replied enthusiastically. "Do you need help with those?"

"No, no", Andrea hurried to say, not wanting to seem weak even though Ty was probably just being polite. "I got this. It's just a backpack and another bag, after all."

Ty backed off and went back to standing next to Amy as Andrea then handed Luke his things. It was always hard to say goodbye to each other like this, but at least now she knew that they would see again the next day.

"I'll come pick you up tomorrow", Andrea said. "I'll let you know what time."

"Okay, mom", Luke said, taking his stuff and then hugging Andrea's midsection as he wasn't tall enough to hug her properly. It did surprise Andrea as she had expected Luke to be so spellbound by Heartland again that she would just look like a background character compared to the things he had here. She put her hand around him and gave the top of his head few kisses.

"I love you, munchkin", Andrea said, giving Luke's hair a little ruffle. "Oh, don't forget your toque!" she was reminded and went to get him his hat when they were done hugging. "Stay warm."

"I will", Luke assured.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow", Andrea said to him, then turning back to Ty and Amy. "If anything comes up, just call me. Anytime."

"Hopefully it won't, but we will if it does", Amy promised.

"Alright. Well… I gotta go. Bye", Andrea said, taking one last look at Luke before she got inside the car. Luke took his things and went to stand next to Ty, Amy and Lyndy, who were all waving Andrea goodbye.

Amy kept an eye on Luke, wondering how he would feel about this, knowing he had had some problems with being apart from his mother before. But it looked like he was taking it fairly well so far.

Amy was happy Luke had been able to go back to his mother after her release from the hospital, but the family at Heartland had also missed him terribly, so when Andrea had called her few days ago, asking for a favour, Amy had agreed to take Luke in for the night without any hesitation. Luke had been with them the last Christmas too, but back then everything had been so new to him that he had mostly spent his time sitting quietly on the side, so Amy was hoping this year would be different since Luke was now more part of the family and open to interacting.

"Where's Remi?" Luke asked then right away when his mom had driven off.

"She's in the loft with Georgie. You wanna go and say hi?" Ty guessed. Earlier this year Luke and the dog had become separable and it had not only been good for Luke and his confidence, but also for Remi too since Georgie had been kind of busy this past year ever since she had returned from the Euro Camp and started working at Lisa's stables.

Luke nodded. "Yeah! I've missed her."

"I'll take these inside", Amy offered and gently took Luke's things from him. "Can you take Lyndy with you?" she asked from Ty, who nodded. "You'll be sleeping in the attic again, if that's okay", Amy then told Luke so he would know where to find his things.

"Where's Katie gonna be then?" Luke wondered, recalling Katie's announcement about claiming the place for herself after he would leave.

"She'll be staying with Georgie in the loft for the night", Amy explained.

"Okay", Luke nodded, not wanting to mix things up too much.

"I'll be right there", Amy said and went to take Luke's things inside the ranch house. It was going to be nice to have him sleeping above them again.

Meanwhile, Ty, Luke and Lyndy headed toward the barn. For Luke, it felt like he had never left and everything looked just like it had been when he had went home. Well, except for the snow.

"How's Boots? Do you think we could go for a ride?" Luke wanted to know. He had been having dreams about riding a lot ever since leaving Heartland as he had been missing doing it, and even though he had been scared about it first, after Jack had showed him the ropes this spring, it had become one of his favourite things to do.

Ty held Lyndy's hand as he made sure she wouldn't slip on the icy yard, and then glanced at Luke, wondering what to reply. "I'm sure Amy will be happy to take you for a ride. Unfortunately, I have a night shift today. So many injuries happen to animals during this time of year, so it'll be busy night for the clinic. We need all hands on deck."

"Wait, you're not gonna be here?" Luke asked, and Ty could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Well, I'll be here tomorrow. When you wake up, I'll be back home", Ty tried to comfort him, feeling a little bad for not being able to change the shift, but since he had already promised to be at work, he couldn't just back out, especially since Luke's visit had been so last minute. "But you'll be fine with Amy. And Lyndy. We've all really missed you."

Luke nodded, but didn't say anything more which only made Ty feel worse.

As they walked into the barn, Georgie came downstairs with Remi and Katie. The dog rushed to Luke so she could give him kisses. It made the kid laugh as he tried to hold Remi back a little so he wouldn't fall over.

"Good to see you too, girl!" he giggled as his face was being licked by the big King Shepherd.

Georgie looked at them and smiled, feeling happy to witness this reunion. Over the summer months, Luke had really bonded with her dog, Remi, and it had been nice to see, especially because she could recall how much Remi had meant to her when she had first arrived to Heartland. Slowly but surely, she had gathered her own animal companions who had made her feel like home, and eventually she had gained a whole family too. Georgie could see Luke having a similar experience.

"She's happy to have you back - as are we all", Georgie commented.

"I'm not", Katie exclaimed stubbornly, looking Luke with a serious face.

"Katie", Ty scolded with a gentle tone. "That's not nice. I thought you guys were friends."

Sure, Katie and Luke had had their ups and downs, as any kids their age, and they had been laughing one minute and then fighting the next, but deep down, Ty believed them to be good friends. Besides, he didn't want Luke to immediately think he wasn't welcomed here, and Katie had to be more understanding with the situation. Luke was family, whether she liked it or not.

"It's because of him I have to leave my room again", Katie said, then storming out of the barn.

Ty sighed and looked after her. When he noticed she was going inside the ranch house, he figured it was best to just let her cool off a little bit. Maybe the adults were much more capable of adjusting to sudden changes, but they couldn't always ask the same from the kids as their worlds were much more structured to bring them comfort.

"Sorry about that…" Ty apologized on Katie's behalf. "She's just surprised, that's all."

"I don't think it's just that. I guess it's mom and dad too", Georgie speculated. "Things with them have been a bit tense for a while now and the holidays are kind of making it worse", she shared, even though Ty had probably witnessed that, seeing he was living in the same house Lou was. Even though Peter was staying at the Dude Ranch, he had spent a lot of time at the Heartland ranch house so he could be close to his family for this Christmas.

"Yeah… I've been hearing that. But apparently they're not fighting, it's just them dealing with things…" Ty explained, rolling his eyes.

Even though neither of them were yelling, it was evident the tense way they expressed themselves was just a step away from a fight. Then again, with everything that had happened these past months - Lou's break-up from Mitch and her new position as the mayor of Hudson - it was no wonder she was possibly feeling a little overwhelmed and was unloading on Peter more than usual - which only made him feel more frustrated as well.

"Katie will be okay", Georgie believed and heard a beep coming from her jacket's pocket. She pulled out her cell phone and looked who it was - even though she had a pretty good idea already.

When Ty noticed her smile, he had a pretty good idea too. "Quinn?" he guessed while Luke was giving Remi some belly rubs. Lyndy then joined him and giggled when the dog was getting more excited and squirming on the barn floor.

"Yeah. He's back with his family in Florida for the holidays, so we're kind of having this long distance thing again", Georgie explained and sent him an emoji, before putting the phone away. She would write him a longer message later. "And here I thought we were done with that now that he's been working at Hillhurst."

"Well, it's just for few days", Ty said, knowing something about long distance relationships himself. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah, I know. I guess I just… I know how hard it is for him to go back there, but… you know, it's holidays, so I guess he has to. I just wish I could do more for him, you know", Georgie replied, shrugging.

Ty nodded, understanding. "Well, at least you're just a text away."

"What's that?" Luke interrupted them as he noticed something in the barn office.

Ty followed his glance and realized the boy was looking at the gift on his desk that he had gotten for Luke.

He now had two options; to play it off as if it was nothing or just admit that Luke was no fool and give him the gift now that he had seen it.

"Ah, well, you were gonna get this tomorrow…" Ty said, leaving Lyndy with Georgie as he went to get the package himself, "but I guess today will be fine too", he figured, somewhat trying to clear his own conscience by feeling so guilty about not being able to be around tonight.

"What is it?" Luke asked as Ty returned to him with the present and handed it over.

"Why don't you open it up", he said with a smile, just as Amy walked in.

His wife was trying to catch up with what was happening inside the barn, and when she saw Ty handing Luke a gift, she raised her eyebrow and glared at Ty. The man didn't need to hear the words to know what Amy was thinking.

Luke put the gift on the floor and started tearing open the wrapping paper, revealing a game console underneath. Amy looked at it and pursed her lips together, then moving her eyes toward Ty.

"A Nintendo Switch?!" Luke squealed. "Wow, so cool! Thanks!"

"Uh, Ty, can we have a word in the loft?" she asked, not wanting the kids to hear this. Ty nodded and looked tense, knowing he was about to be scolded.

As they reached upstairs, Ty and Amy's words were a little more muffled, but Luke could still hear their argument as he stood still and listened. Any other kid would have probably been too mesmerized by the gift he had just been given to hear anything else, but not Luke. He was too used to walking on eggshells and reading people's moods to know what was going on and how he should act from now on.

_"What was that? I thought we promised not to get the kids any big gifts like that this year",_ Amy said to Ty. _"I mean, how much did that cost? Aren't those expensive?"_

_"I know we promised that, but… I don't know, I guess I just thought Luke might want something to keep him company while his mom is working. You know, when he gets back home",_ Ty explained back to her.

_"I get that, but…"_ Amy sighed. _"We said we were gonna save all the money we have so we could finally get the house ready and move in. This took us like… 300 dollars back. I know it might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but every dollar counts, you should know that."_

_"Okay, I hear you, but that was my money. We are still not gonna fall too far back",_ Ty tried to explain.

_"Your money…?"_ Amy asked._ "I thought all of our money was our money. – Besides… how do you think this is going to make Andrea feel? You know how she feels about us gifting Luke things like that. I mean, isn't him coming here a gift enough?"_

_"And what happens when the holidays are over and it's back to normal for him? He's going to be alone a lot. Andrea might feel a little bad about the gift at first, but she's going to thank me in the long run",_ Ty believed. _"I know I would have been better off playing with video games than getting into trouble, that's for sure."_

_"I just don't think that's the kind of decision we can make for him anymore. We are no longer his foster parents, Andrea's his guardian. It should be up to her to decide if he's allowed to play with games like this to begin with."_

_"It's not like it'll have violent games–"_

_"That is besides the point!"_ Amy raised her voice a little bit because she didn't feel like Ty was listening to her.

_"What, so you want me to take it back?"_ Ty asked with an annoyed tone. _"I can take it back when I go to the work. If that's what you want."_

_"I didn't say that… I'm just… You should have spoke to me first about this",_ Amy explained her stance.

_"Just like you spoke to me about taking Luke in for the Christmas?"_ Ty said, making a nod to a phone call that Amy had received from Andrea while he had been at work.

_"That's not even the same thing…"_

_"Well, you're making me look bad. And now you're suggesting I should take the game console back",_ Ty spoke.

Amy interrupted him._ "I didn't say that! Besides, you can't buy his love, you know that!"_

_"I'm not trying to buy his love, I'm just trying to give him what I never had",_ Ty believed. _"Anyway. I gotta get to work. One of us has to earn the money for the house."_

_"What's that supposed to mean…?"_ Amy asked.

_"Well, you haven't done much working while you've been training your new horse with Spartan",_ Ty said and it sounded like he was bitter. _"So at least I'm bringing in some money."_

_"Money that you spent on that game without talking to me about it first!"_ Amy pointed out.

At downstairs, Georgie listened too, then realizing maybe it was not a good thing for Luke or Lyndy to hear this. "Hey, how about we go see Boots? He's outside with the other horses."

"Yeah… okay", Luke said, now looking at the game console with sadness as he set it aside, not sure if he had caused problems for Ty and Amy by coming here and then being gifted this. It felt like all he ever created was trouble.

The weather outside was gloomy, but so was the atmosphere at Heartland.


	2. Chapter 2

Inside the ranch house, the feel of the space was both inviting and exhausting as Katie rushed through the screen door. The warmth from the hearth had spread through the living room to the kitchen and it brought back memories of having hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows in front of it when their camping day had turned out to be rainy, or playing board games and beating everyone because they were more focused on trying to sabotage each other's plans to focus on the actual winning.

Those were some good memories Katie liked to think back to whenever she was in this house. But the nagging noises of her parents made her feel entirely different instead.

When Lou and Peter had divorced, Katie had not really understood what that had meant. Everyone had seemed serious and even a little bit sad, even though they had tried their best to hide it from her - but Katie could still tell - and all of a sudden her dad wasn't around that much. Everyone had been saying this word "Vancouver" over and over again till Katie had eventually realized it was a city Peter was living in - and not some type of weird van - and then it had been time to actually travel there. But it had been alone. No Georgie. No mom. While Katie had appreciated the undivided attention from her dad, it had just always felt like something had been missing.

Her home had then become two homes, sometimes three if they were staying in New York with Lou, and it had started this whole strange new chapter in her life where she kind of fell through the cracks while the parents were busy "discussing" about something. Katie knew by now that she basically became invisible during those moments and if she ever needed something while Lou and Peter were "discussing", it was just better to do it herself, because either their attention was more on the "discussion" than it was in the thing they were doing or they just completely forgot she had even asked.

This time was no different.

When she rushed upstairs to her room to get something, Lou and Peter barely even noticed. This sort of freedom had its perks, but at the same time, Katie missed being a family. When Lou had told her that her dad was coming home for Christmas, Katie had expected something different, but instead of doing things together, Georgie was busy being on her phone and talking about her new boyfriend while Lou was focused on organizing and Peter was just… there.

Christmas didn't have the same magical feeling to it anymore it had once had.

Oh, and on top of it all, Katie now knew Santa Claus wasn't even real. So basically, everyone had been lying to her for years. The world of adults really was the strangest place.

As Katie opened the door to her attic room, she could hear Lou and Peter's "discussion" as the background noise.

"Why does it matter anymore? You agreed to come here and we're here now, the whole family's here, so…" Lou talked to Peter as she was going through the ornament boxes probably for the fourth time now, looking for the decorations she wanted to put up to the Christmas tree they had carried inside the house yesterday. Most of it had already been decorated, but there were some key elements that were missing, in Lou's opinion.

She had been looking the completing piece for a whole day now, asking from Amy if maybe she had seen it when they had helped with the tree with Lyndy and Ty, and while the tree looked alright, it definitely didn't feel like the real Christmas tree until it had the one thing that was the almost literal cherry on the top.

The top star.

"That's exactly the problem", Peter said, trying to make Lou see his point. "For you, the family means people here. But have you ever considered that maybe I don't see it the same way?"

"Are you talking about my dad?" Lou guessed absentmindedly, as she was rummaging through the box again, and furrowing her brows as all this looking had made her feel like maybe she was slowly losing it. Or maybe this whole autumn had just been too much for her - with the mayor duties - and she kept forgetting the simplest things, like where she had put things a year before.

But at the same time, Lou knew she couldn't have forgotten it, because the ornaments were always neatly placed in their rightful boxes so she would be able to find them the next year just as easily as she had the year before.

"It's not about that", Peter replied. "Sure, your dad and I don't always get along, but what I'm saying is that for me, the family means also my family. You know, my parents, my siblings and their kids."

"_Of course_ they are family", Lou insisted, glancing at Peter quickly, but still focusing more on the ornaments. "But you'd be crazy to think we would have gone all the way to Estevan to spend a Christmas with your family."

The last time she had visited Peter's parents was when they had still been married, and Katie had just been born some months earlier. It had been pure hell, not only because of the drive, but also because Katie had not been the easiest baby back then, and Lou had felt like a complete loser and an outsider due to her new mom status as Peter's mom had raised six kids and she had still been learning all the ins and outs of parenthood.

"_My_ family…" Peter noted with a hum.

Lou glared at him. "_Our_ family. You know what I meant, Peter. Besides… wouldn't it be weird if I was there? I mean, we are divorced. And I don't want to be apart from the girls on Christmas, so… this is just easier."

"Okay, but how come what you're feeling is more important?" Peter asked. "We've always spent the Christmas here, and I haven't said a word because it's clear to me that if I want to be around the girls during the holidays, I have to come here to see them. But isn't that a bit unfair? What if I want to see my folks? I have to make the decision to either see them or see you guys. And what's craziest is that all this time, the only time my parents have seen Georgie is when they've visited Vancouver at the same time as she has."

"Well, it's their fault for living where they live. Maybe she'd visit them more if they'd live closer", Lou suggested.

"They live exactly as far from here as you do from there", Peter pointed out.

"Where is that star?!" Lou then changed the subject and sighed in frustration.

"You're not even having a conversation with me right now", Peter pointed out. "You're more concerned about this star than you are about what I'm trying to say to you."

"No, I hear you", Lou clarified, "but I just… this star has been up in our Christmas trees ever since I was born. It's important. It's a tradition to have it there, and now that it's not, it's all I can think about."

Peter shook his head. "If only all of us had your problems…" he said before he left the room to cool off.

"Peter…" Lou tried, but Peter just waved his arm over his head to tell her he was done trying to have this conversation with her.

It wasn't that Lou didn't care what was being talked about, she just had her reasons for being so absentminded, and talking about it all just didn't feel like something she wanted to do right now. She just wanted things to go her way, for them to be easy. Maybe Peter would come around, and she didn't have to go into detail about why this star meant so much to her and what it represented.

But the longer Lou kept looking for the star, the stupider her reasons started to feel like for her.

* * *

As Katie ran downstairs and rushed through the kitchen, she could overheard Jack and Lisa talking for a little while but since it sounded like boring adult talk - much like Lou and Peter's "discussions" - she didn't stay to eavesdrop (even though that was one of her favourite things to do to gather information no one was letting her in on).

"I should talk to Georgie about it", Lisa said with a determined tone as she was making the gravy and having a taste test before she added more spices.

Jack was staring into the oven, checking up on the turkey, and leaning his hands on his aching knees.

"No… Don't do that", he commented, stretching up. As Jack looked at Lisa's expression, he could see a small storm brewing behind those blue eyes of hers. While Lisa was always trying to remain composed and polite, no matter the circumstances, it didn't always mean the person she was talking to was going to do the same, and that meant trouble mostly for Jack Bartlett of all people.

"Why not?" Lisa wanted to know. There was clearly a problem, and she was coming up with a way to solve it, and yet her husband was against it. "It's become a problem."

"Because… it's Christmas. We want to keep the peace", Jack explained, spreading his fingers and gently soothing the air as if the sparks were already flying.

"Okay, I get that, but also, I didn't hire her because I needed someone to focus more on texting and being at Hillhurst than working and actually be present for what I've assigned her to do", Lisa explained. "I mean, I get that mucking out stalls and getting horses ready isn't necessarily all that exciting for her since she's been doing it for years here and it isn't a challenge enough, but as I explained to her, it's where everyone who works for me starts."

"I don't think it's just about the lack of challenge or understanding", Jack figured, walking next to Lisa. "I think she's in love and distracted because this Quinn kid is around Hudson. Isn't that just how teens typically are? Always interested in everything else but their responsibilities."

He knew something about it, after raising one daughter, two granddaughters and helping out with bunch of other kids that had come to stay at Heartland.

Lisa sighed as Jack was stating the obvious.

"Of course she is - and I know that. But it shouldn't distract her_ that_ much. She's a smart girl; I'm sure she could see the problem right away. Maybe she hasn't just realized how much she's spending time on that phone of hers. And I don't want everyone to think that I'm letting it slide because of nepotism", she explained. Lisa had figured she had showed being impartial already by making Georgie start from scratch but now this was becoming a problem of another kind. "Because I'm not, and that's why I think I should talk to her - like I would with anyone who works for me and is not focused enough. I'm not going to let her go, if that's what you're afraid of. I'm just… clearing up some things."

"Okay, but does it have to be tonight? Like I said, it's Christmas", Jack requested.

Lisa sighed. "I heard you the first time."

"And give her some slack; if anyone should understand her, it should be you. Having someone you love outside the country isn't easy", he added.

"Yes, but it shouldn't interfere with her work", Lisa explained. She then furrowed her brows, looking at Jack with a confused look. "And since when have you become so soft? I remember you being hard on Lou and Amy about things like this in the past. What is it that you always said to them? Boys come and go, they should focus on building their future? Something like that…"

Jack seemed a little cranky at Lisa turning this around him. "– And I still agree with that sentiment, but maybe I've become "soft" over the years and understood that some things are more important than work."

"Of course, of course they are", Lisa agreed, "but she has to understand that I've had a lot of problems with keeping Fairfield going these past two years throughout all the downs the place has faced, and she might feel like she's not doing much, but everyone working for me is doing their part and that's how everything gets done. Either she's dedicated or she's not. It's up to her."

Jack nodded. "I know. You've done amazing job, and I know you know how to run a business, but… just hold back everything for a little while longer, please…?"

Lisa looked at Jack who was trying his best to appeal to her. She finally sighed and loosened her neck.

"Fine. I won't talk to her tonight", Lisa promised. Jack seemed relieved. "But I will talk to her at some point", she added, not wanting to let Georgie off the hook.

Jack understood. "That is fine by me."

* * *

Back in the barn, Amy was getting Boots ready for a ride with Luke. She had been pretty quiet after her argument with Ty in the loft, and Luke couldn't help but feel a little pressured by that dark cloud hovering over her head. Usually when his mom was being quiet like this, he knew something was wrong. If that was the case, he wanted to know about it. Maybe there was something he could do to fix it.

"Doesn't Ty want me here…?" Luke finally asked when Amy was getting Boots's saddle from the rack and the boy was still brushing the horse.

Amy was surprised by Luke's question. "What…? Of course he does. He just has to work tonight, that's all."

"I know, I get that. My mum has to too", Luke said, putting the brush away as Amy placed the saddle on the horse's back. "I just… I heard you arguing, and he said that you agreed to take me in for Christmas without talking to him first. It sounded like maybe he wouldn't have said yes if my mom had asked him."

Amy sighed.

"Well, first of all… I'm sorry you had to hear that", she said, feeling horrible they had gotten started like this. The stress in her and Ty's life was beginning to show, but that didn't mean it would have to affect the kids. "And he didn't mean it like that. It's just… lately we've been having a lot of things to worry about and sometimes when adults go through periods like that, we say stupid things that either come out the way we don't want to or we don't mean."

"Is it the house?" Luke guessed. "That's causing you the stress."

Amy dropped the girth down and started adjusting it. "That - and other things. But you don't need to worry about that. We'll figure it out with Ty." She tried to put aside the stress and be present for the boy despite still being angry at Ty. "Why don't you get the bridle for me?"

Luke nodded and went to take the brush box away on his way.

Luke was a sensitive boy, and Amy knew he picked up things some kids probably wouldn't even notice, so it was especially important to make sure she wouldn't give him something to worry about and would only focus on giving him the best two days he could have while he was visiting.

It wasn't always easy to control your moods, Amy knew, especially when everything just felt so heavy after an argument, but what would help her with that was everything she had learned with horses. If they picked up her bad mood, everything else would fall apart as well. It would be kind of the same thing with Luke. The boy didn't need to know about their financial situation or her worry over Spartan. He only needed to reconnect with Boots and that's why they were here, getting the horse ready.

"How has it been with your mom?" Amy asked then, moving the halter back on Boots's head and then helping Luke put the bridle on.

She had been curious about Luke's new life ever since he had left, and while they texted every now and then, Amy didn't want to ask too many questions so Luke wouldn't feel weird about it and Andrea wouldn't think she wasn't trusting her abilities to look after her own son. All Amy wanted to be was supportive.

"It's been good", Luke shared, "kind of… new. But in a good way. Still… it's strange. But I'm seeing this counselor sometimes who asks me a bunch of stuff to make sure things are going over smoothly, I guess."

"That's good", Amy said, feeling relieved that she no longer had to worry so much about Luke or Andrea, even if there was always that possibility that Andrea's condition could change as she was still trying this new medication. But it sounded like they had a good support system going on. "And you feel like you can tell them anything?"

"Yeah", Luke nodded. "I just miss Remi and Boots a lot. They don't ask as many questions."

"Well, they've been missing you too", Amy told him with a smile. "Katie's been riding Boots sometimes, and I think he's been liking that."

The mentioning of Katie's name made Luke feel a little bit more insecure again. "She said she wasn't happy I was back."

"Who said? Katie?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah."

Amy was surprised to learn that because she had heard Katie asking about Luke every once in a while and it seemed like she was really missing him. Lyndy and Katie were close, but since the age gap, Katie got bored really easily when playing with the toddler, but Luke had been more to her level with the things they had done together and it had really showed a whole new side of Lou's daughter.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it."

"That's what Georgie said. Apparently she's having hard time with some things, like her parents arguing all the time", Luke shared parts of the conversation he had heard earlier. He didn't really know much about that, because it had always just been her and her mom and his dad was not in the picture.

Amy felt bad hearing that, even though the arguments had not gone unnoticed in the house. It seemed like there was a lot of dispiritness going around in their family. "Sounds like we could all use a little holiday cheer."

Luke nodded as Amy helped with the throat-latch so Boots would be ready to go.

"Okay. Are you ready for your ride?" Amy asked.

"Uh-huh", Luke confirmed as he went to get his helmet.

Being back in the saddle made him worry about a lot of things, but he also knew that when he would get on Boots, all that would magically disappear as it felt like there was just him and Boots in the world while he was riding.

* * *

The Christmas Eve turned into an evening, but it seemed like no one was really feeling festive. Georgie spent her night in the corner of the couch, texting rapidly to Quinn, while Lisa exchanged meaningful glances with Jack as it was clear that Georgie continued to be absent in every possible situation and not just as work, but if she would open the conversation with her casually, Lisa knew she would have to bring up the whole work thing as well - and she had promised to keep it all capped till later.

Meanwhile, Lou and Peter barely spoke a word to one another and she spent most of her time playing board games with Amy who on the other hand was worrying over Lyndy and Luke's Christmas experience since there were barely any gifts and Ty was at work. But the kids seemed to make things work, and Luke had even promised to read Lyndy a bedtime story when it was time for her to go to bed.

As the night fell over Heartland, no one - except maybe for Lyndy - slept happily. Everyone had too much on their mind.

As Ty eventually crept into the bedroom, Amy turned on her side, her back facing him and pretended to be asleep as she was too tired to have any conversations right now despite being wide awake.

* * *

The next morning, everyone was gathered around the kitchen table, either eating breakfast or about to have breakfast when Georgie walked in.

"Morning…" she murmured sleepily, her hair pointing to different directions as she pulled her hoodie on to keep herself warmer.

"Morning, honey", Peter said, trying to turn a new leaf with this new day. He had come here to spend time with the girls and that was what he was planning to do now. "We've been waiting for you and Katie to come inside so we can open some presents."

He kept glancing behind Georgie, but Katie was nowhere to be seen. He was just about to ask where Katie was when Lou beat her to it.

"Where's Katie…?" Lou asked as she poured herself another cup of coffee.

"I thought she was already here", Georgie said, looking at her parents. "She said she'd go to the house like an hour ago."

"What?" Peter almost gasped and got up. "She's not here. She's never come in."

Lou got immediately worried. "Oh my god. Wait, Georgie - are you sure she wasn't in the barn?"

"No, I would have seen her", Georgie confirmed and then began to wonder where she could have gone because the walk from the barn to the house wasn't even that long and there was barely any other place she would have went alone.

"We should still go check", Lisa, who was also in the kitchen with Jack, said and tried to keep the panic at bay.

"Okay, I'll do it", Georgie said.

"What's going on?" Ty asked as he had overhead some talk about Katie from the living room where he had been sitting with Amy and Lyndy.

"Katie's missing", Lou told him, rushing to the mudroom. "Everyone, outside!"

"We don't know she's_ missing_", Peter said even though he was worried as well. He left the breakfast on the table and followed Lou. "She's just… somewhere and we don't know where that is yet."

"Peter - that's literally what missing means! – Georgie said she left the loft like an hour ago and she's not here when she said she'd come here. Wherever she is, it's not where she should be. We need to go find her!" Lou exclaimed, looking at everyone. "Not to mention, it's cold outside. We need to find her fast!"

Everyone started putting on their outdoor clothes on top of their comfortable pajamas and home-wear and went outside.

When Georgie confirmed from the barn doorway that Katie was neither in the barn or in the barn office, the whole family started to realize the little girl really was missing.

The group split up and started hollering Katie's name as they went for different directions. Everyone's worry grew bigger the longer time went on. It was not unusual for Katie to roam around the farm lands, but she barely did that during winters, especially alone, as it could be very dangerous not only because of the wild animals but also because of the conditions during this time of the year.

"Are you sure she said she would go to the house?" Lisa asked one more time from Georgie as they were going around the barn.

"Yes, I'm sure", Georgie insisted. She was getting annoyed by being questioned like this. It was like she was being blamed for something.

"Just checking because you've been so focused on that phone of yours, so maybe you _think _she said that when in fact she said something else…" Lisa murmured partly to herself.

"Lis…" Jack said, not wanting this to be the moment where it would all come out, especially on top of things.

"I'm just saying that maybe she didn't hear right", Lisa explained her point of view, trying to keep her promise.

"I heard her, alright?" Georgie said, sensing Lisa wasn't just making sure. "What's this really about?"

"Well, since you asked…" Lisa figured she would explain it, despite Jack's protests. I mean, Jack couldn't tell her not to say anything now that Georgie wanted to know, right? "It just feels like you're spending more time on your phone than you are here, in real life. And I'm not just talking about this morning, but overall. Like at work. It's great you have Quinn here and things are going well with him, but I just… I need you to be here too. Be present. I guess I just thought that when I asked you to come work for me, you would do more working and a little less texting."

"But it's how we stay in touch", Georgie explained, "we don't get to see each other a lot with Quinn; he has a bunch of work at Hillhurst, and I'm busy at Fairfield. It's hard to find the time."

"I get that, but you should _make_ time for each other, you know, _outside_ work", Lisa said, knowing what she was talking about. "Look, I get it, I get the need to be in contact. It's not always easy with me and Jack either, being all over the world and having different schedules. I guess I just… well, you remember what happened in the summer when I was distracted? I signed those papers and sent that horse to a completely different place than where he was supposed to be. That was on me, I take full responsibility of that, but I don't want that to ever happen again. Not for me, not for anyone. So, when you're working, you should be working. Alright?"

"Okay, yeah, I get that", Georgie said, understanding it more now that Lisa mentioned the incident. She could remember feeling responsible for it before it had turned out to be Lisa's fault and she didn't want to feel like that ever again. "Does that mean I can have him over more without _someone_ hovering around and keeping an eye on us then?" she then shot what seemed like a loaded question back.

"Of course", Lisa replied, not understanding what she was implying until she saw Georgie glaring at Jack. It did make her smile a little bit, especially since the man had been all about the young love earlier. "Right, Jack?"

Jack seemed somewhat quiet all of a sudden, realizing maybe the question had been directed to him all along. It was hard for him to accept that Georgie was 18 years old now and she had her own place. Just because it was above his barn, didn't mean it was his responsibility.

_Maybe…_

"I mean, if Lou and Peter are alright with it, why wouldn't it be okay with us too?" Lisa shrugged, knowing it wasn't that simple for Jack since he had gotten so used to looking after the younger generations when their parents weren't around, but this moment was too juicy to pass, especially after how hard time Jack had given her earlier, Lisa thought.

And Lisa was supportive of Georgie's independence. As were Lou and Peter, it seemed.

"Let's just focus on finding Katie", Jack tried to draw the focus back on what was a more pressing matter.

* * *

"I can't believe this is happening. Again", Lou kept repeating between calling out Katie's name. "How is this happening again?" she asked from Peter. It was like they were always trying to find their daughters, whether it was because Georgie had ran away or because Katie had went missing during a trail ride when her horse had gotten spooked.

"Maybe this wouldn't be happening if we were in Estevan", Peter said bitterly, feeling just as frustrated about this as Lou, but it was only adding to his annoyance about this whole Christmas arrangement.

"Are you kidding me? You're bringing that up now?!" Lou scoffed between calling out Katie. The girl was nowhere to be seen as they went through the fields with Peter.

"Sorry… I don't know why I said that", Peter realized he was being unreasonable about it. "I guess I just… I don't know, I feel like nothing I ever do is good enough. Or I'm not good enough. And this just proves it. – But that doesn't matter. We need to find Katie."

That was one thing Lou agreed with him, but felt like maybe she had some opening up to do too.

"That's not true. I feel like I'm the one who is never good enough. I mean… my break-up with Mitch, this whole mayor thing… I know I wanted to become one, but I guess I'm just realizing how much things are changing. And I'm fine with change, but… are the girls? Am I asking too much from them?" Lou asked as she kept looking around, feeling her chest getting tighter from worry. "They just got used to Mitch and now we broke up - again - and now I'm working long hours and I barely get to see them outside all the work. I guess I just wanted them to have this Christmas, just like we've always had, so there would be one constant thing they would have in their lives. Even with that stupid star. And now it just feels so insignificant…"

The tears started streaming down Lou's face. Peter noticed it as he looked at her sympathetically.

"Hey, hey…" he grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay. We'll find her. She can't be far."

"If anything happens to her because I was too busy with something else…" Lou cried against Peter's jacket. "I'm a horrible mother."

"You're not", Peter said, caressing her hair gently. "We've just gotten caught on this… co-parenting trap where we feel like what we want is much more important than how the kids feel. We should ask them what they want instead."

Lou nodded, agreeing.

"Should we call a police to help us find her…?"

But just as she had suggested that, they heard Amy yelling from the other end of the yard. "We found fresh footprints! We think they are Katie's!"


	3. Chapter 3

The whole family gathered together and started following the footsteps that lead them to the woods. All kinds of worries started running around inside everyone's heads, but once they had followed the steps for a little while, they noticed the little trail emerged with a path that had had someone walk on back-and-forth several times.

It seemed like Katie had known where to go.

"Katie!" Lou hollered as she lead the search party and rushed toward the end of the path, having some idea where it was supposed to lead - and even hoping she was right. Any other alternative would only make things worse.

"Katie, honey!" Peter called when he followed her footsteps as the rest of the family tried to keep up with them. Eventually they all brushed past few pines and ended up to the tree house where the path ended.

Only the tree house looked different than usually.

Katie walked out of the little building when she heard her name being called, like there was nothing wrong, and looked at everyone with a baffled expression as the family surrounded the house. "What?"

"Oh, Katie, we were so worried–" Lou began fussing and started to climb the stairs before her daughter raised her hand in front of her like a stop sign. She had a stern look on her face.

"Stop", the girl demanded. "Step back."

Lou was surprised by the demand and stepped back, wondering what was going on. "But, Katie–"

"Only people with Christmas spirit are allowed to enter", she declared like she was the queen of her own kingdom.

And in a way she was; it appeared like Katie had decorated the house with different things from home and made it look like hers. When this had all happened, Lou had no idea, but everything there looked very familiar. Most of the stuff were from the boxes with Christmas ornaments.

_So this is where they had gone,_ Lou thought to herself and almost hummed. _She wasn't going crazy._ Somehow Katie had been able to sneak the ornaments out and felt the need to decorate the tree house.

"Honey, what's going on?" Peter wondered, walking next to Lou to give her his support.

"All you guys do is fight", Katie explained. "I'm tired of it."

"I'm sorry", Lou said, feeling bad as she realized she had not even noticed how it had all affected Katie. Her and Peter shared a shameful glance. "We just didn't agree on where we would spend the Christmas and–"

"That's another thing", Katie stopped her. Lou listened. "I always have to go somewhere, and we are never together as a family anymore. I just want to have a home where I get to have a say. So… I made myself one. This is my home now, and I don't have to go anywhere."

Peter looked at Katie, feeling horrible about this as well. To think he had insisted on taking Katie to Estevan after asking her to come to visit him in Vancouver so much this year… He could understand why Katie didn't like it. She barely had any time to settle down before she was on the go again.

"Your mom and I… we are really sorry", Peter wanted to say, feeling like he was speaking on both of their behalf, and when Lou nodded along, they naturally turned into a team again. "And we understand what you're saying. But you really got us all worried. You can't just go somewhere without telling anyone."

"But I did tell someone. I did tell Georgie", Katie said, looking at her sister who was almost startled that the focus was now on her. When she realized what Katie was implying, she almost got a little mad how she was making her look.

"I thought you meant the ranch house", Georgie wanted to say. "I had no idea you meant the tree house. We were all really worried!"

"I got Remi here", Katie said, shrugging, petting the dog that was sat beside her as a trusted guardian.

"Still", Jack wanted to say, hoping to make Katie understand the consequences of her actions. "Something could have happened to you."

Luke then stepped forward from beside Amy and Ty, hoping to talk to Katie as he felt at least somewhat responsible. "I'm sorry I took your room. I didn't mean to cause any trouble by coming here, but I can see that I still have. I hope you accept my apology."

"Luke, no…" Amy wanted to say. "You haven't cause any trouble." She understood that Katie was upset, but Luke didn't have to feel any remorse for it as the girl's angst obviously stemmed from Lou and Peter's co-parenting decisions. Amy didn't blame them in any way as she realized each parents had their own struggles with their kids, especially if the couple was divorced, but the solution could only come within their family, not from Luke.

"But I have caused trouble. I get why Katie's mad", Luke explained, looking at the adults now. "I have two homes too, but sometimes I don't feel good anywhere. Especially when the grown-ups are clearly upset or fighting, but they claim they are not. We are not stupid, you know", he added, feeling like Katie probably wanted to say the same thing.

Amy looked at Ty, feeling like maybe the talk was directed at them. Maybe they had their own problems to deal with, too…

"Isn't Christmas supposed to be the best time of the year, but all everyone does is fight", Katie wanted to add. "Why can't you just enjoy it?"

Everyone looked around and it started to dawn on them that Christmas spirit just didn't come by, it had to be build, preferably together.

Luke then turned around to face Katie, hoping to mend whatever grudge there was to mend. "Permission to come inside the little house of Christmas", he said modestly.

"Permission granted", Katie said, moving out of the way so Luke could climb up.

Georgie looked at the kids, feeling a little bit bad about how she had reacted to Katie's words and had not really paid attention to her as much as she probably would have wanted. They were sisters after all, who both knew how it felt like to be children of divorce, and Katie had been at her loft for a sleepover last night while she had only focused on Quinn who wasn't even around. Maybe if she had paid more attention, Katie wouldn't have run off alone and had even showed her the tree house sooner.

"I'm sorry I haven't been present", Georgie finally spoke out too. "I might as well been in Florida with the way I've been acting - but I'm not in Florida. I'm here. So… I will try to be here from now on."

She walked closer the house and looked at Katie. "Permission to come inside the little house of Christmas."

Katie looked at her, wondering what the terms would be. "Do you swear to have the Christmas spirit in you?"

"I swear", Georgie insisted and even laid her right hand on her chest to make it clearer how serious she was.

"Then – permission granted", Katie replied, welcoming Georgie inside.

Lou looked at Peter and it was like they read each others minds, knowing what they should do. It was time for a change.

When both Katie and Georgie were on the deck, Lou began her speech. "Your father and I promise to ask you guys more about what you want instead of making the decisions for you. We are family, no matter whether we live in the loft, in Vancouver or in Hudson."

Peter nodded and put on a pleading face. "So… permission to come inside the little house of Christmas…? For both your mom and me."

Katie rubbed her chin gently, but then nodded. "Okay. Permission granted."

It made everyone laugh and released a little bit of tension.

Lisa then turned to look at Jack, deciding she needed to make some changes too.

"I promise to talk sooner about things so they don't just bottle up till it's bad timing and I can't take it anymore", she swore. "It's only fair for everyone involved to know where we are at."

She looked at Georgie who smiled at her and it made her feel like her message had been received - without any cellphones in sight.

"And I…" Jack said, stepping closer to the house as he wrapped his arm around Lisa so they could go together, "promise to allow people to have their own lives without me interfering. It's like Luke said – I know you are all smarter than I might give you credit for."

Even though it was a promise made for other people, it did make Luke smile. It was so rare adults listened to him without him having to make a scene so they would understand he was being serious.

With Jack's promise, Georgie felt like she now had the freedom to ask Quinn over without having to worry about Jack busting inside the loft to make sure "nothing that shouldn't be happening wasn't happening". She couldn't wait to tell about that to Quinn - but not until later. Right now she wanted to see how Katie's interior design skills were.

"Do we have a permission to step into the little house of Christmas?" Lisa asked for both her and Jack as they were about to reach the stairs.

"You do", Katie confirmed, welcoming them in with gesturing toward the house.

As they got inside, Lisa made a comment about how crowded it was starting to get, but Ty and Amy both knew they still had their baggage to get rid of and so they looked each other, wondering who was going to start.

Amy decided to go first.

"And we… promise to communicate better, so that we have a better understanding about what the other one is feeling - or anyone that might be involved - with the topics that we are talking about", she said, looking at Ty and then Luke to let him know that he was not the cause of their problems, but a victim of the unfortunate situation.

Amy took Ty's hand and started walking toward the tree house, thinking their promises were now made, but then Ty tugged her arm gently, stopping her.

"I didn't make my promise yet", he said, making Amy raise her eyebrows. She had figured Ty's part had been involved in hers as well. "I promise to be a better husband and a better father, and not project my own fears or failures into anyone else. And I promise to understand the changes my wife might be going through and not hold them against her because I know she's not only looking after our daughter, but giving her time to Luke as well and on top of that, she's being the best and most reasonable wife a man could ask for."

It made Amy smile and feel relieved, especially because it was so unexpected. She had had no idea Ty had spent so much time thinking about this from her point of view too, without her even having to explain to her why she had been so hurt by his words. She only wanted to be fair toward everyone involved and it felt like eventually Ty had understood that.

"Do you want to give them a permission to enter the little house of Christmas?" Katie asked Luke's opinion. She might be okay with them, but maybe her friend wasn't.

Luke looked at her, then doing the same pondering motion Katie had done earlier, but eventually nodded. "Yeah."

"Come on in then", Katie gestured. Amy then went ahead and helped Lyndy get up with a little bit of help from Ty.

"Oh my god, Katie!" Lou commented at the same time when she entered the tree house. "Our star!" She pressed her hand against her mouth to stop her from gasping as it looked so beautiful in the middle of the house. Like Katie had known its significance too.

Inside the house, Katie had built a Christmas tree from snowballs by putting them on top of each other and on them there was a worn-out golden star Lou had been looking for so desperately. It almost made her shed a tear.

"I liked that star", Katie explained as she came inside. "So I wanted the house to have it."

"I like the star too", Lou said and swooped Katie under her arm lovingly.

"I don't know…" Georgie commented, "I think it's kind of… ugly." She made a face.

"What?!" Lou almost yelled, but laughed then too, as she knew deep down that it wasn't that pretty, but all the sentimental value made it prettier.

"Well, look at it!" Georgie explained. "It looks like it has been ran over by a truck!"

Lou, Peter and Katie all laughed at it - because they could see it. Even though the star had big value to Lou, nothing had as much value as the family time together, teasing and joking about things they were experiencing together.

Meanwhile, Luke looked around as everyone admired what Katie had done with the place. It was nice to have this many people around and get this sense of family, but it also made him miss his mom.

"Ty…" Luke said, wanting to talk to him on the side. They stepped outside while others stayed in the house. "You can take back the game console to the store. I don't really need it", he admitted, even though it was of course a nice gift.

"But it was a gift", Ty wanted to explain. "It's yours."

"I know, but Amy said that you're trying to save money to get your house ready", Luke explained.

Ty sighed. He didn't like Luke worrying over things like that, even though it made complete sense for him to do so. He then knelt down and looked Luke in the eye. "Yeah, we do, but I'm not going to take your gift back. It's yours."

"But I want to give it back, so that you can have a house of your own sooner", Luke explained. "A house like this. That maybe my mom and I can come to visit during Christmas."

Ty looked at Luke. The boy seemed sure about what he wanted, and in a way it made Ty proud to see how mature he was being, even though a part of him wanted Luke to just accept the gift without being so understanding about their situation with Amy, because he deserved to have that careless childhood he had not necessary had up until this point.

Ty could remember the need to grow up too fast in order to survive and it had caused him all sorts of problems - but the thing was; Luke was not him. Even though Luke had had to grow up too fast too, he wasn't looking for trouble to feel better. He only wanted peace of mind for everyone involved. And that's why he didn't want the game console.

"Okay, but only if you're sure", Ty finally said, checking one last time.

"I am."

Ty nodded. "Okay, then I'll do that."

* * *

After the family had spent a little while inside the tree house, when everyone was starting to get cold, they decided to get back into the ranch house and open whatever gifts they had stored for each other under the tree, though it seemed like they had already gotten their best gifts by coming together as a family.

Katie's little intervention had made everyone more open and connected and it really seemed like the little house of Christmas had worked wonders for their spirits.

* * *

When Andrea came to pick up her son later that afternoon, Ty and Amy were waiting for her at the porch with Luke and Lyndy. When she stepped outside from her car, looking a little tired from the night shift and her sleep she had had after that, Luke rushed to hug her.

"I missed you!" Luke said, squeezing her torso.

Andrea was surprised by the reaction and smiled a little bit before she got down on his level and grabbed him into a better hug. She had to wonder if something had had happened to make Luke feel like missing her, but she had kept telling herself that Amy had promised to call if something had.

"I missed you too…" she said, kissing Luke's hair. They then separated as Ty and Amy walked closer. "How did things go…?" she asked carefully.

The couple exchanged glances and nodded.

"Things went well, I think", Amy summed up with a smile.

"Yeah, we really liked having Luke around", Ty agreed.

"But… you said you missed me…?" Andrea said, feeling confused as she then looked at Luke. What was she not getting? "I thought something had happened."

"Nothing happened", Luke responded, equally confused. "I just missed you."

Andrea looked at Luke again in the eyes and then pulled him into a tight hug. This was the most unexpected - yet perfect - thing she could have ever asked for. Despite all the things Heartland had had to offer for Luke, the boy had still missed her.

She didn't know much about this Christmas thing, but she knew that this had had to be one of those Christmas miracles.

"I know it's still far away, but", Ty began talking, "Luke was hoping maybe we could spend the next Christmas together. Amy and I talked about it and we thought it would be nice too. Maybe by that time our house will be ready."

The surprises just kept coming. Andrea looked at Ty and Amy. "Really…?"

Amy nodded. "If you want, that is."

Andrea looked at Luke, wondering what they should do. "Well, we'll see what's going on with our lives at that point, but… what do you want, munchkin?"

"I just want us all together", Luke announced. "Like one big family."

There was a beat until Andrea nodded. "Yeah, okay. Let's do that. Let's get together next year for Christmas", she then confirmed to Ty and Amy with Luke's blessing.

"Yes!" Luke cheered and hugged his mom again. They all laughed as the warmth spread across their chests despite the cold weather. "Hey, before we go, can I show you the little house of Christmas?"

"The little what now?" Andrea asked, wondering what this was about.

"Wait till I show you!" Luke said enthusiastically.

**THE END.**


End file.
